Blank for forming pitchforks.



No. 773,289. PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904 G. K. JANSEN & P. EISBRENNERK BLANK FOR FORMING PI-TUH'P-ORKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. 1904.

no minim.

UNITED STATEs Patented October 25, 1904;.

PATENT CEEicE.

- CARL K. JANSEN AND FRANK EISBRENNER, OF TILLSCNBURG, CANADA.

BLANK FOR FORMING PITCHFORKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,289, dated October 25, 1904.

Application filed April 30, 1904. Serial No. 205,807. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CARL K. J ANSEN and FRANK EISBRENNER, both of the town of Tillsonburg, in the county of Oxford, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blanks for Forming Pitchforks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to devise a blank for the manufacture of four-tined manure-forks, straw-forks, and the like which may be stamped from the stock with a minimum waste of material; and it consists, essentially, in so shaping and proportioning the blank that the spacing material connecting the shank and tines is convex in outline opposite the shank, so that when the head of the fork is straightened out the center tines are properly spaced, the whole being constructed in detail substantially as hereinafter more specifically described and then definitely claimed.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing one complete blank for a four-tined fork and parts of two others as turned out by the first stamping after the waste at end of bar is stamped out. ished ready for the rolls. Fig. 3 is a plan View of a blank with the head of the fork straightened out and the two center tines rolled.

in the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that each blank comprises a shank portion A, outer tine portions B and C, extending in the same direction as the shank, and inner tine portionsD and E, extending in the opposite direction to the shank.

The die used in stamping the blank is so shaped that as stamped out the shank portion A is separated from the outer tine portions B and C by spaces corresponding exactly in size and shape to the inner tine portions D and E before they are subjected to the second operation. The tine portions and the shank are in- Fig. 2 is a view of a single blank finonly waste of material in forming the blank.

The head of the fork F, it will be seen, is now left bent or curved so as to throw the points of connection a b of the inner tine portions inwardly and forwardly in the direction of the shank.

While we prefer to shape the spacing material substantially as the segment of a circle, yet any other shape in which the spacing material would be concave toward the shank would in a large measure answer the purpose of our invention. By thus shaping the head of the fork the waste G is reduced to a minimum, being substantially of the irregular triangular shape shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 less the space occupied by the point of the shank A of the next blank, which nearly touches the base of the head of the fork.

' The head of the fork is so curved and proportioned that when straightened out, as shown in Fig. 3, the center tine portions 3 and 4 are accurately spaced in the positions they occupy in the finished fork. As the points of connection a Z) of the inner tine portions are thrown inwardly and upwardly, as described, the blank may be cut from a narrower bar of steel than is ordinarily employed, and the tine portions may thus be made longer and less stubby than in the ordinary blank, which better fits them for the operations of rolling and bending.

Vhile the essential feature in cutting out the waste is that the spacing material be left with the curved shape shown, yet it is also preferable that the bases of the inner tine portions be cut away in the triangular fashion shown to give the rolls a proper grip when these tine portions are being rolled out to the shape shown in Fig. 3. If it were not for this, the Waste could be out approximately as the segment of an annulus.

What We claim as our invention is An integral blank for forming pitehlorks and the like comprising the shank portion A; the outer tine portions B and (1 extending in the same direction as the shank; the inner tine portions 1) and E extending in the opposite direction; and the head of the fork F connecting the parts and cut convex toward the in- 10 ner tine portions, snbstantially as described.

Tillsonburg, April 25, 1904.

CARL K. JANSEN. FRANK EISBRENNER.

In presence ot W. A. ,DOWLER, 0. WV. JAoKsoN. 

